Emerging Issues and Trends in Ergonomics III

W. Gary Allread will give an overview of his pre-conference workshop for the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2013 called Methods to Reduce Injury Risk Among Obese and Aging Employees. Many companies struggle with creating workplaces that keep all employees safe, including those who are overweight or working into their later years. This workshop will provide both short- and long-term strategies for addressing these issues in office and production environments. It will include demonstrations, case studies, and brainstorming sessions that focus on workplace design considerations and modifications that accommodate these employees. Participants will also join in discussions on how to alter existing ergonomics assessment tools to account for the increasingly diverse workforce.

Carol Stuart-Buttle will give an overview of her featured presentation for the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2013 called "The Value of Professional Certification in Ergonomics and its Future." There are many certifications in the marketplace. The proliferation implies there is a demand. This presentation will discuss the difference between a certificate course and certification. The fundamentals of a credible professional certification will be presented, and the Certification in Professional Ergonomics will be defined. Discussion of the value of certification to the certificate holder and the public will be followed by consideration of current and growing challenges for certification bodies, the future direction of the human factors/ergonomics profession and the next professional generation.